Centrifugal casting machine



March 4 1924. 7 1,485,860 J. B. LADD CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28. 1922 .5 Sheets-Sheet 1 my f0 Jaws --%.m ZJQQQHJQ ATTORNEY March 4, 1924. 1,485,860

J. B. LADD.

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOI? ATTORNEY March 4 1924.

J. B. LADD CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIVVENTOI? BY a 'v'lgzfl wt M,

ATTORNEY J. B. LADD CENTHIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOI? ATTORNEY v Patented Mex- 4 I 1 UNITED TES.

1 1,485,860 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. LADD, OF LEDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR 'IO UNITED STATES CAST.

IRON PIPE & FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- EION OF NEW camrmis'uoancns'rme MACHINE.

Application filed November as, 1922. Serial mi. 608,757.

To all whom. it may con 16m: Be it known that'I, JAMES B. LADD, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Ardmore, in the county of Montgomery, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Casting Machines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, WhlCll form apart thereof.

My invention relates to a machine for the centrifugal casting of pipes and particularly of pipes having bell ends at one end and beads at the opposite end, which variety of pipes cannot for obvious reasons, be cast in a solid'metal mold. The object of my invention is primarily to provide a mold made up of separable segments which, under the strains incident to the solidification and contraction of the pipe casting, will separate to a sufiicient extent to permit of the longitudinal contraction of the pipe. By reference, and this is an important feature of my invention, I make the mold of two sections, both segmental in construction, one segment being adapted for the casting of the main bod of the pipe and the other segment adapte for casting the beaded end of the pipe and further adapted to yield and ermit the lon itudinal movement of the ded end of t ing contracts.

Another feature of my invention has to do with the mechanism for shifting the mold longitudinally in the casing.

Other features of the casting machine illustrated in the drawings are also new with me but are not herein claimed for the reason that they form the sub'ect matter of a co-pending application for otters Patent filed November 28, 1922 Serial No. 603,756, reference being now had to the drawin in which my invention is illustrated and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of my centrifugal casting machine with the mold sections in the position they occup immediately after they have been force together, and with the mold entirely retracted from the pouring trough.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the mold shifted in the casing to the positione pipe when the pipe cast- Figure is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking toward the left but .with the mold and cast pipe shown in Fig.

2 omitted.

Figure 4, a sectional view on the line 4'4 of Fig. 1 looking toward the right.

Figure 5, a sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 1..

Figure 6, a sectional view taken through the mold sectors and the casing but showing the mold sectors in the position they occupy with regard to the casing when be- 1I1% inserted therein.

igure 7, a cross sectional View on the line. 77 of Fig. 1. i

Figure 8, is a sectional elevation on a larger scale of a portion ofthe mechanism, as shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 9 a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, looking toward the right.

Figure 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Fig. 11 of the right hand endof the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, with details supplied which are omitted in the views shown in Fig. 1.

F'gure 11 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 10, partly shown in section.

Figure 12 is a view generally similar to Fig. 10, but showing a modified mold section for the formation of the beaded ends of the pipe.

Figure 13 is a cross sectional view on the line 1313 of Fig. 12, and

Figure .14; is an enlarged sectional view of the casing and mold, as shown in'Fig. 5.

A is the frame of the machine supporting tracks indicated at B, and a power cylinder indicated at C, C being the plston rod extending from the piston within the power cylinder and connected to actuate the mold supporting carriage as will be described. The framing also supports at'its left hand end a bracket indicated at D which in turn supports the cylinder indicated at D in which, in turn, is adjustably supported the rod D E and E are respectively the lower and upper sections of a longitudinal casing which is formed with inwardly turned flanges, as indicated at'FF, forming a bearing for the mold supporting cylinder indicated at I. E, E, are brackets extending out from the-lower section of the casing and supporting the wheels G, G, etc. which 'in turn rest upon the tracks B, B. E is the joints between the flan ed ends E of the c linder and the casing are made Suficiently tight to enable the space between the two casings to be used as a water jacket. H, H, are wheels or rollers supported with in the removable portion E" of the lower casing section and which, in turn, support El e lozngitudinal casing I, as best shown in The casing I has extending from its inner surface lugs 1 arranged in circularly disrosed groups and also so arrangedas to lie in longitudinally parallel lines. These lugs have beveled faces, as indicated, and the 'end lugs of the longitudinal lines are, as indicated at I and as best shown in Figs. 9 and 13, undercut for i a purpose which will be explained. I is a gear wheel formed on or attached to'the left hand end of the casing I by which it is rotated through gears indicated at J by an electric motor indicated at J.

K, K, K, are the sectors or segments making up the mold in which the pipe is cast. Extending out from the outer face of the mold sectors are the lugs indicated at K, K, etc. which are bevel faced and arranged in circular and longitudinally aligned groups so that when the mold is assembled in the casing I these lugs will rest in contact with the bevel face lugs I. The end lugs K which contact with the end lugs of the casing have attached to them dove tail lugs L which fit in the under-cut recess I of the lugs I and are secured to the mold sectors by screws L, and, to enable these screws to be inserted after the parts are in place, openings 1*, I are formed in the casing I, as shown in Fig. 12. At the left hand end the mold sectors are extended beyond the casing I, as shown in Fig. 8, and flanged outward, as indicated. at 1?, a seat being formed at K for the core iron and the outer edge of the flange K being notched, as indicated at, K for a purpose which will be explained. In order to make the mold sectors sufliciently flexible to insure that they will be forced into intimate contact with each other at their edges I form circumferential and longitudinal grooves in the outer surface of the mold sectors, as indicated at k and 7c. M is a core iron having a longitudinal extension M on which is supported the sand core for forming the bell end of the pipe The core iron is secured to one sector of the mold by a wedge N passing through an eye in the head N of a screw which in turn is secured to the 'mold sector, as shown in Fig. 8. I The head ment which, when the mold is moved toward the left, comes in contact with'a'head O, as shown in Fig. 8. This head 0 is pivotally secured on the end of the rod D and is form, as shown, so as. not only to aflord an abutment for the head N of the. screw N but alsoto, extend ,over the end of the mold sectors, the over extending portion being formed with inwardly projecting lugs O which in one position can pass through the notches K and in another posi- K The angular adjustment is ma e through the handle indicatedat 0 .1. I

P, P, indicate mold segmentsforming together .a supplemental mold section especially intended 'for' the cast-in of the head end of the ipe. These segmeng fire formed so as to ma e up a cylindrical niold surface indicated at P, etc, which registers with the moldsurface of the segments'K and terminate. in sections P adapted to-c'astthe beadat the end of the pipe. The sectors P are assembled in a cylindrical chamber 1? formed at the right hand end of the casing I, as best shown in Fi 10: and 11. In this chamber the sectors are positioned by means of thimbles Q fitting in recesses I in the wall of the chamber I and guiding a plungerQ', a reduced end Q of which enters tion Wlll engage with the inside of the flange a recess P in one of the sectors P, and the sectors P. are pressed together by the action of coiled springs Q surrounding the thimbles Q. The sectors P are further held in position by an annular plate R bolted to the flange I at the end of the casing I and having pivot in bearings R formed in it through whlch extend pivot pins R the inner ends of which enter holes I" in the casing I. Pivoted on the pins R are centrifu-- gal counterbalances having short ends S ward under the influence of centrifugal force, when the mold is in revolution.

m, Fig. 8, is the core for the bell mouth of thriipipe supported, as shown, on the core iron W, Figs. 1 and 2, indicates the runner through which the molten metal is introduced into the mold.

Referrin to the modified construction shown in 1g. 12, the casing I is here shown as having a chamber I formed on its right hand end in which fits a cylindrical core iron T. This core iron has an inwardly flanged and T which fits against the end of the mold sectors K and an outwardly flanged end T which fits against the outer end of the casing T to which it is secured by a screw U having an eye head U which passes through an opening T in the flange and aceaeeo.

throu h the eye'of which passes the wedge is a sand core formed on the inside of the core ring T having the internal form indicated-at V, V for forming the bead end of the pipe and being made with annular recesses indicated at V so that under the stress of a contracting pipe this core can readily yield and collapse, permitting the bead end of the pipeto move toward the left. I am aware that a collapsing core has been proposed as a means for casting the bead end of the pipe and it will be understood that I do not claim this device broadly but only in the new combination with which I employ it In operation and preparatory to casting a pipe, the carrier casing'E, E, is moved toward the left until the head abuts against the head N of the screw N, and until the pressure exerted through this head forces the mold sectors to the position indicated best in .Fig. 8, that is, the position in which they are firmly abutted against each other in position to cast the pipe. In this position the sectors P of the supplemental mold section at the right hand end of the pipe which are pressed inward by the springs Q, will register with the mold sectors K. The mold is then moved toward the right over the runner W until the end of the runner comes close to the bell end of the mold. The mold is then rotated and metal is permitted to run into the mold which may advantageously remain stationary longitudinally until the bell end is filled and the mold being in full rotation is then moved toward the left with the, result that the stream of metal running. into it is distributed in a helixon the surface of the mold and the casting. progressively formed. The metal continues to pour into the moving mold until the entire mold has been charged from end to end and it will readily be understood that this progressive mode of casting the pipe will be such that, especially in a water cooled mold, the portions of the pipe casting first poured will have an opportunity to solidify and partly contract before the head end of the pipe casting is formed. Obviously, this makes it advisable under certain conditions to open the mold and relieve the pipe castcore for casting t e head end of the pipe, as

shown in Fig. 12, or preferably, by forming the mold with the supplemental mold section for casting the bead end of the pipe made up of the retractible seetors P, P, etc,

tracts longitudinally so as to draw the bead end of the pipe toward the left and, to insure that the mold sectors-P will remain in casting position during the casting operation, I provide not only resilient means as the springs Q for holding them together butlalso the centrifugal counterbalances S, S, which press against the mold sectors, holding them in operative position when the mold is in rotation.

The pipe having been cast while the mold is moving toward the left I continue this motion of the mold and the carrier after the casting of the pipe until the flange ends K of the .mold sectors reach approximately the position shown in Fig. 8, that is, a position in which. the flange end of the mold sectors lie .within the inwardly projecting lugs O of the head 0. The head 0 is then turned so that these-lugs O willpass beyond the notches K and on a reversed movement of the carriage and mold the lugs O engaging the flanges K will draw the mold sectors toward the left while the casing I is still moving toward the right. This, of course, will retract the mold sectors which, being engaged with the casing I as deally outward and away from the cast pipe, as indicated in Fig. 2, and while the sectors are thus retracted the cast pipe is removed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A centrifugal casting machine comprising a rotatable casing in combination. with a segmental mold, means engaging the mold segments with the casing which permit the segments to move radially and resilient means holding the segments together.

2. A centrifugal casting machine comprising a rotatable casing in combination with a segmental mold, means engaging the mold segments with the casing which permit the segments tomove radially, resilient means holding the segments together and counterbalances actuated by centrifugal force for balancing the centrifugal force tending to move the mold sectors apart.

3. A centrifugal, casting machine comprising a rotatable casing in combination with a segmental mold section, interacting means located between the mold and casing for clamping the mold segments together or permitting them to move apart and a supplemental mold section adapted to yield un-' der strains due to the contraction of the castin secured in the casing in alignment with t e first mold section.

hA centrifu al casting machine comprising a rotata le casing in combination. with a seental mold section, interacting $5 scribed, will, at the same time move radinae means located between the mold a'nd casing for clampingthe mold segments together or permitting them to move apart, a supplemental segmental mold section secured in the casing in alignment with the first mold section and resilient means for holding the sectors of the supplemental mold section together.

prising a rotata le casing in combination with a segmental mold section, interacting means located between the mold and casing for clamping the mold segments together or permitting them to move apart, a supple-v mental segmental mold section secured in able in the casing, interengaged means whereby a longitudinal movement of the mold segments 1n the mold moves them together or apart and power mechanism for mnoving the mold segments longitudinally.

7. A centrifuial casting machine comprising a rotata 1e casing in combination with a segmental mold the segments of 5. A centrifugal casting machine com rneegeeo which are radially and longitudinally movable in the casin interengaged means whereby a longitu inal movement of the mold segments in the mold moves them together or apart, a head en afgeable at will with the mold segments and power'mechanism for moving said head;

8. A centrifugal casting machine co'mprising a longitudmally movable carria'ge, in combination with a rotatable casing movlng with said carriage asegmental pipe mold enclosed in the caslng with the'bell ends of the segments extending outsid'ejof the casing, interengaged means whereby longitudinal movements of the mold segmentsin the casing moves them together and apam and a head engageable with the bell ends of the mold segments for moving them longitudinally in thecasingt 9. A. centrifugal casting machine comprising a longitudinally movable carriage, in combination with a rotatable casing moving .withsaid carriage, a segmental pipe mold with the bell ends of the segments extendmg outside of the casenclosed in the casing in interengaged means whereby longitudina movements of the mold segments in the.

casing moves them together and apart, a head .engageable with the ,bell ends of the mold segments for moving them longitudinally inthe casing and power mechanism for moving said head. 

